As mentioned in previous posts, there is a high amount of voltage and current on our undersea cables which is supplied by our High Voltage Power Feed Equipment (HVPFE). Due to this high voltage and current generated by an HVPFE, it is critically important that safety procedures be followed at all times when working on this type of equipment.

One important feature built into our PFEs that helps to ensure that proper procedures are followed, and to protect workers when working inside is the HVPFE key interlocks.

These interlocking keys can only be released when certain steps are followed. For example in the above picture, you see key 1 directly above the high voltage switch in our PFE control bay. In order for Key 1 to be captive as shown in the photo, the adjacent converter bay must be powered down and breakers in the off position in order to “release” key 1 from that bay so that you can gain access to the high voltage switch in this bay.

There are multiple sequences like this that are followed when working on a PFE and these sequences will require that certain bays be turned off, certain modules be set to ground, etc, prior to continuing. It literally forces the technicians to put the PFE and the PFE module to be worked on into a “safe” state prior to commencing work.

This is a photo of the 3100 and our NTP server which are both located in Sydney.

As discussed in an earlier entry one of the more important aspects in the network particularly in relation to transmission services is network synchronisation.

PPC-1 has a primary reference clock 3100 (PRC) that provide a highly stable time source and clock signal from which our NTP server and our transmission equipment receive their clocking. The device complies with UTUT G811. What this means in practice that we have a very stable clock (stable to better than 100 ns with respect to Universal Coordinated Time (UTC) when locked to a GPS signal, GPS Holdover Time Error: 8.6 µs per day (0 °C to +50 °C, ±5 °C) when not in sight of a GPS satellite.

In frequency terms, a clock signal at 2.048 Mb/s output frequency is accurate to better than: 1 x 10-12 with a GPS Holdover Stability of : 1 x 10-10 per day (0 °C to +50 °C, ±5 °C). This equipment is made by Symmetricom. It is not unique to PIPE as it used by all of the major carriers to synchronise their networks.

Slaved to this device to this device is our NTP server from where our NMS gets its time stamp network wide. Finally, and probably most importantly, our Cisco transmission equipment (ONS 15454) uses a clock signal from the PRC to time the SDH portion of the network and to propagate network clock signals among the ONS elements.

The SNMPc software comprises 2 parts: the core application and an add-on web portal for more sophisticated graphing and reporting options. We are currently running through the initial deployment and have the core software up and running. The web portal aspects will be added in the next couple of weeks.

The SNMP traps will be the primary reporting and monitoring method for the network but we will also have a backup ‘dry contact’ alarm aggregation solution in the unlikely event that we lose SNMP visibility to any device.

When the deployment is complete we expect to have at least 75 discrete pieces of equipment, spread across 6 international sites.

In addition to the specific transmission platforms from Tyco Telecom and Cisco, we have been busy implementing a dedicated Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) monitoring solution. It runs on its own dedicated server with a replicated backup server off-site from the primary.

We are using Castle Rock’s SNMPc v7. This allows us to actively monitor and record the performance of all equipment in the network, including environmental monitoring and individual IP telephones and computers. With a 3rd party converter we are even able to collect alarm data from the power systems in the sites.

The Cisco 15454 transmission equipment has arrived at the Sydney Cable Landing Station. Once the equipment has been inspected by Matt Whitlock and Lee Harper, it will be dispatched out to the International PoP sites in San Jose in the US and Tokyo in Japan for installation at the end of the month. The Cisco 15454 equipment will be deployed at the edge of the PIPE International Network and function as a managed demarcation point between PPC-1 and its customers.

It is an engineering requirement that the PPC-1 Cable Station transmission equipment racks are NEBS zone 4 compliant.

The Telecordia NEBS standard defines the industry standard for seismic testing methods and tolerances. These are applicable for communication equipment racks or cabinets which are likely to be deployed in areas where substantial seismic activity is a possibility.

Following the recommendations defined with the NEBS standard, during rack manufactures’ seismic testing programs the rack or cabinet is typically attached to a test concrete slab, loaded with simulated equipment weight and then subjected to a shake test. At its basic level if the rack falls down or distorts past defined tolerances it simply fails the test. In most cases when this occurs the design of the rack has to be stiffened or its specified carrying weight reduced.

Earthquake simulations are basically a series of changes in velocity and acceleration from one vector to another. NEBS Zone 4 seismic testing replicates earthquake scenarios measured on the Richter Scale of 8.3 in magnitude

This video from Chatsworth Products Inc shows clips from the tests of their Zone 4 rated 19″ wide rack with 6″ deep rails. The rack version tested here is to be installed within the PPC-1 Cable Landing Stations.

Delivering the containers was a feat of precision driving as only one of the trucks had the required side lifters to unload the containers. One container was put in position; the second truck was then brought alongside and the container moved from one to the other; and then to the ground.

With the Tyco Telecom team on-site to accept the delivery, the installation in Sydney is underway with both containers being unpacked and their inventory checked.